Moisture Control Tips for Metal Sheds
Adding a shed to your property is a great way to gain indoor storage space without taking up room in your house. Plus, by picking metal as the material of choice for that shed, you’ll get an affordable structure that should last for many years to come. However, moisture levels can be a problem inside metal sheds in some settings, so it’s important to think about this topic and how it can be resolved. Explore the top moisture control tips for metal sheds, below.
American Steel Carports, Inc. offers a variety of metal sheds that are affordable, durable, and completely customizable. Use our Build & Price tool to design your structure and receive and instant quote!
How Is Moisture Getting into the Shed?
If you’ve noticed moisture accumulating in a shed that you thought was sealed up properly, you may be confused as to where that water is coming from. In most cases, the problem isn’t a leak that’s allowing rain to get into the building. Rather, the problem is condensation.
When the air in your shed is warm and humid, it’s holding moisture that’s likely to be released when that air cools down. Cold air simply can’t hold as much moisture as warm air, so condensation is the inevitable result. While you can’t really do anything about the level of moisture in the air in your local climate, you can take some steps to limit how much condensation builds up inside of your metal structure.
Insulation is a Great Starting Point
Properly insulating your shed can go a long way toward reducing condensation. Without insulation, the temperature inside your shed will swing wildly from day to night, especially in climates with cool overnight temperatures. Those dramatic changes are going to make it more likely for significant amounts of condensation to develop and settle on the walls of your shed.
By correctly insulating those walls, as well as the roof, the temperature inside your shed will not change as much from day to night. It’s important to remember, however, that your insulation needs to be installed carefully to eliminate gaps and create a good seal between the outside and inside. Using quality insulation, and installing that insulation properly, is the most important thing you can do in the battle against condensation.
American Steel Carports offers Value 16 Insulation for your metal shed. This provides your unit with thermal, radiant, and vapor barrier protection. That means that you’ll have a cool, dry structure in the summer and a warm, dry structure in the winter!
Plan Your Foundation Carefully
This point won’t do you much good if you already have a shed in place. However, those building a new shed should pay careful attention to how the ground is prepared for that new structure. A concrete slab is a great start, but you should also think about taking steps to stop moisture from coming up through that slab and adding humidity to your shed. A vapor barrier can do this job nicely, or you may choose to add a layer of gravel below the concrete to provide some separation from moisture in the ground.
On a related point, think about the location of your shed on your property and how its placement could affect humidity levels. For example, if you choose a low spot where water tends to gather after it rains, that area will have high local humidity than other spots on your property. Plus, there will almost certainly be more groundwater available to come up into the shed from below. Among other choices, picking the right spot for your shed can go a long way toward cutting down on condensation.
Allow Your Building to Breathe
Ventilation can play an important role in bringing down humidity levels, especially on hot summer days. At the very least, consider opening the door to your shed for a while during a cooler part of the day. This will allow some of the humid air to escape and will hopefully limit how much condensation is created.
When ordering a new shed, you can keep ventilation in mind as you customize the design of the building. For example, you may choose to add a window on each side of the shed. That way, you could open both windows for a period of time during the day to create airflow inside the building quickly and easily. If you’re going to supply power to your shed, you may also choose to use a portable air conditioning unit to cool down the interior and lower the humidity level.
Work With American Steel Carports, Inc.
We hope these moisture control tips for metal sheds assist you! At American Steel Carports, Inc., we take pride in being an industry leader in the metal shed market. With countless customization options, excellent customer service, and decades of experience, we believe that no one does it better. For a sturdy yet affordable shed that will serve your property well for years to come, reach out today to place an order. We are excited to serve you!
